Run for life - Yoga and runningPowerful pose (Utkatasana). Photography by John Hicks

“In the past, many coaches discouraged runners from doing Yoga, saying it made them too flexible. That theory was thrown out when Beryl Bender Birch, often credited as the creator of Power Yoga, brought Yoga to the New York Road Runner’s Club in the 1980s and saw performance improving and injuries reduced. Yoga isn’t just about becoming more bendy and agile. Yes, it improves flexibility and strength, but it also enhances balance and co-ordination, increases breathing capacity and hones mental focus.
   A study published in the ‘Indian Journal of Medical Research’ found that athletes who practised yogic breathing (pranayama) for a year were able to exercise at a higher work rate without increased energy demand or lactate production. In other Indian research, rate of recovery from a tough treadmill run was measured after a restorative Yoga posture (Savasana) compared to simply lying down. It was found that the Yoga pose reversed the effects of the run in significantly shorter time. Finally, a study published in ‘Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine’ showed that yogic breathing increased lung capacity and function. While I don’t know of top athletes who regularly perform Hatha Yoga, I do know of those who incorporate Yoga into their warm-up, cool-down and stretching and use yogic breathing to aid relaxation and calm nerves prior to racing.
   This runner’s Yoga workout was devised in conjunction with Jenny Pretor-Pinney, director of Yoga Place in London. Try performing the exercises in the order shown below, when your body is thoroughly warmed up...”Sequence: Hero, camel, beetle and legs up the wall. Photography by John Hicks

   The six poses given in this Yoga workout include powerful pose (Utkatasana), king pigeon (Ekapada Rajakapotasana), downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Savasana), hero (Virasasana), camel (Ushtrasana), beetle and legs up the wall (Viparita Karani).
   Written by Sam Murphy, the article is extracted from the book RUN FOR LIFE, published by Kyle Cathie. For a detailed review and SPECIAL OFFER to readers of Yoga & Health, please see page 48 of the April 2009 issue.